After being intrigued by this gem of a hotel back when it was known as the New Otani, I was glad to wind up there recently with a successful Priceline bid.

The room was what I expected for a 3-star hotel: perfectly adequate, nothing to go wild over. At registration the desk clerk handed me a cup of iced tea and a warm towel while I was signing in--a nice touch, and a sign of the thoughtful service that was to mark my stay throughout.

The lobby's great, and the third-floor garden is a haven. The restaurant A Thousand Cranes is worth checking out. It's pricey, but the Sunday buffet is one of the best meals (and high-end bargains!) I've had in Los Angeles.

The location, with a bail bond place practically next door, may be off-putting, but that's because a city detention center is nearby, as is City Hall. Thanks to one or two restaurants open as late as 3 a.m. I've wandered the streets in the area late at night without incident for more than 25 years.

If you use public transit, there are many bus lines that go past it. The Civic Center Metro stop is a third of a mile away, and Union Station is just over half a mile away.

It's not Beverly Hills, but it's not Blade Runner territory either.

I live in LA without a car. I looked for a hotel near the Metro station and Art Museum I was attending within walking distance. This place was a gem. Three blocks from the Metro station and two blocks from the Japanese American National Museum, right in the heart of LA's Little Tokyo. Formerly the New Otani Hotel, (It still has an Asian/Japanese theme) they have about a 20 story tower complete with everything you need. A lobby bar which also serves food, the weekend bartender Roberto G. makes the best mojito you could ever have and also is so personable he shold have a tv show.. Also a lobby level restaurant (Azealia) for mainly american food. A couple floors up are the main eateries, a fine food venue with a sushi and shashimi area, a place with a lot of beef and asian inspired influences and a mainly nighttime bar with every drink you want, including every type of sake, as well as food items. Hours vary depending on the day but there's always something, including room service if it's that late. Plus you're in the heart of little Tokyo. Yeah it might not feel great at 10 or 11 at night but it's safe! And there's a ton of other places to eat as well as the in-house Starbuck's, but they close early.
For the hotel itself, easy and quick check-in and out, very competent staff, I never had a problem go unanswered. The room, I had a basic room, was everything you could expect, windows that open, variable A/C, bathroom toiletries, the tv even includes a few HBO channels.
My favorite feature was the authentic Japanese Garden, located on a terrace on the third floor, it is a several acre oasis garden of foliage, streams and a waterfall. In one corner there is a full bar and grill where you can walk-up or order food to your table. Grilled ribs and a cool drink while admiring the LA skyline in the middle of a Japanese Garden, how cool!
The hotel's staff was always there, not only for security but to make sure you had no problems. I never had one.

I'll begin with the positives--very friendly housekeeping staff; nice waiter at the downstairs restaurant and good food too; helpful bell man; and very beautiful lobby and gardens. Now with the negatives--The lobby was beautiful as stated before, so it was a complete shock to find a room that had a stale smell with carpets that were stained all over and the beds were not comfortable. There was a large group (25+) of 18-21 year olds staying there on Saturday night who were extremely rude and beligerant; I felt unsafe with them around, but the staff seemed unconcerned about the profanity there were loudly speaking throughout the lobby and garage. I was traveling with my 15 y.o. niece on a road trip from San Jose area, and we ended up leaving a day early even though I had prepaid for the night. The front desk staff were indifferent as to why we were leaving a day early. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone staying in the area except to say to check out the gardens and lobby during the day when it's quiet and safe.

Spent a delightful 5 days here. Had 2 days of biz in downtown LA and decided to add some time on either side of that. Love the location in Little Tokyo. Staff very helpful and friendly. Housekeeping was lovely and on top of all details. Had excellent experience at hair salon in hotel, and I cannot give high enough reviews for the shiatsu massage. Truly exceptional massage at the health spa facility which is on the hotel property, but a separate entity from hotel.

Superlative sushi close by too.